Toy gun apparatus with baffle in bore thereof and projectile therefor configured to extend through the baffle

ABSTRACT

In toy gun apparatus provided with a bore having an open end for receiving a projectile and including a spring operated plunger movable into the bore to compress air and propel a projectile received therein out of the open end of the bore, the toy gun apparatus bore capable of receiving a certain shape of projectile to be placed in direct mechanical engagement with the plunger and to be propelled thereby and by compressed air out of the open end of the bore, the improvement characterized by a baffle mounted intermediate the bore between the plunger and the open end of the bore for preventing direct mechanical engagement between most foreign objects and the plunger upon the foreign objects being received within the bore and the plunger being moved into the bore whereby the plunger will not propel most foreign objects out of the bore. On the other hand, there are projectiles which are designed to be propelled out of the bore, each projectile of which includes a portion thereon which will fit through openings in the baffle, and thus is capable of coming into direct mechanical engagement with the plunger.

United States Patent 1191 Lange 14 1 Jan. 14,1975

[ TOY GUN APPARATUS WITH BAFFLE IN BORE THEREOF AND PROJECTILE THEREFOR CONFIGURED T0 EXTEND THROUGH THE BAFFLE Primary ExaminerGeorge J. Marlo Assistant ExaminerR. T. Stouffer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bain, Gilfillan & Rhodes [76] Inventor: Arthur A. Lange, Oak Tree Ln.,

Rumson, NJ. 07760 [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Nov. 15, 1973 In toy gun apparatus provided with a bore having an open end for receiving a projectile and including a [21] Appl' 416167 spring operated plunger movable into the bore to compress air and propel a projectile received therein [52] U.S. Cl 124/14, 124/27, 273/1065 A out of the open end of the bore, the toy gun apparatus [51] Int. Cl. F4lb 11/00 bore capable of receiving a certain shape of projectile Field of Search 124/11 R, 12, 13 A, 14, to be placed in direct mechanical engagement with the 124/15,27,28,29; 273/106 R, 106 E, 106 F, plunger and to be propelled thereby and by com- 106.5 R, 106.5 A, 106.5 B, 106.5 C pressed air out of the open end of the bore, the'iniprovement characterized by a baffle mounted interme- [56] References Cited diate the bore between the plunger and the open end UNITED STATES PATENTS of the bore for preventing direct mechanical engage- 786 426 4/1905 Daniels 24/14 ment between most foreign objects and the plunger 1,0s0i170 12/1913 Roe.... 11:: 124/14 P the foreign bjects being received Within the 1,199,074 9/1916 I-Ieyman et al 124/14 bore and the Plunger being moved into the bore 2,649,849 8/1953 Parris 124/14 whereby the plunger will not propel most foreign ob- 2,808,820 10/1957 Haley I 124/27 jects out of the bore. On the other hand, there are 2,333,004 5/1959 Ste e u l24/27 projectiles which are designed to be propelled out of the bore, each projectile of which includes a portion 1 y a thereon which will fit through openings in the baffle, 3,368,815 2/1968 Alabastro 273/106 F and thus is capable of coming into direct mechanical FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS engagement with the plunger.

589,939 3/1959 Italy 273/1065 R g 870,409 6/1961 Great Britain.....' 124/27 1 Clam" 4 D'awmg Flgures IO ,8 4O .90 4 60 ;a 8

w I i Jl I I ""I' x TOY GUN APPARATUS WITH BAFFLE IN BORE THEREOF AND PROJECTILE THEREFOR CONFIGURED TO EXTEND THROUGH THE BAFFLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As known to those skilled in the toy gun apparatus art, the typical toy gun apparatus for propelling a projectile or dart typically includes a bore into which the projectile is inserted in stopper fashion and a spring op erated plunger having a piston mounted at its front end and upon the plunger being moved rapidly into the bore the air received within the the bore is compressed to propel the projectile out of the bore. Typically the bore is provided with no structure intermediate the plunger piston and the projectile whereupon the piston plunger may come into direct mechanical engagement with the projectile which means that upon any foreign object such as a pencil, marble, or stone being received within the bore the plunger piston may come into direct mechanical engagement with such foreign object and propel such foreign object out-of the bore. As is further known to those in the toy gun apparatus art, such propelling of foreign objects from toy gun apparatus presents an unwanted and highly undesirable hazard or danger with regard tosuch foreign objects striking the eyes and other portions of the body of human beings, in particular children who typically operate the toy gun apparatus. It being further understood by those skilled in the toy gun apparatus art that the forward end of the typical projectile is provided with a suction cup of soft material not likely to injure the eye or other portion of the body of such children.

Accordingly, there exists a need in the toy gun apparatus art for toy gun apparatus incapable of propelling such foreign objects upon the objects being inserted within the bore of the toy gun apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The toy gun apparatus of the present invention is provided with baffle means positioned intermediate the toy gun apparatus bore and which baffle means is provided with a plurality of openings formed complementary to rearwardly .extending spaced apart members mounted at the rearward end of the projectile whereby only upon the rearwardly extending projectile members being inserted into and extending through the openings formed in the baffle means is the toy gun apparatus capable of propelling the projectile and wherein the toy gun apparatus is incapable of propelling most foreign object inserted into the toy gun apparatus bore unless the foreign object has the same general configuration as the projectile.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in cross-section, of toy gun apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a projectile according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a rearward end view of the projectile taken in the direction of the arrow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown toy gun apparatus of the present invention incorporated in the form of a Beretta, however, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the toy gun apparatus of the present invention may be otherwise embodied, for example, as a six shooter, auto-repeater, or rifle, etc.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. I, the toy gun apparatus is provided with a frame identified by general numerical designation I0 and received within the front end of the frame 10, and suitably secured thereto such as for example by a suitable adhesive or by being made integrally therewith, is a cylinder [2 provided with a bore 14 extending longitudinally therethrough. The bore is provided with an open front end I6 and an open rearward end 18 and with a forward portion indicated by general numerical designation 20 and a rearward portion indicated by general numerical designation 22.

The toy gun apparatus of FIG. I further includes a generally cylindrical, longitudinally extending, springoperated plunger means indicated by general numerical designation 30 and which plunger is provided with piston means indicated by general numerical designation 32 at the forward end thereof. The piston means 32 may include, by way of example, a seal 34 and a stop member 36 both suitably secured to the front end of the plunger means 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the plunger means is provided with a longitudinally extending bore 38 formed therein and received within the bore 38 is a compression spring 40. The underside of the plunger means 30 is provided with an indented portion 42 formed on the underside of the front end thereof and is further provided with a longitudinally extending slot formed generally centrally of the underside thereof and being indicated by general numerical designation 46. The plunger means 30 is provided at its rear end portion with an enlarged knob portion 48 which may be provided with suitable knurling as shown to facilitate manual gripping by an operator of the toy gun apparatus, or the toy gun apparatus may be provided with a slide for operating the plunger upon the present invention being embodied as an auto-repeater.

The toy gun apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, further includes trigger means indicated by general numerical designation 50 which includes a lower extending portion 52 for engagement and operation by an operator of the toy gun apparatus in the usual manner, and the trigger means 50 is mounted pivotally at pivot point 53 within the toy gun apparatus and the trigger means 50 is further provided with a detent portion 54 at the upper forward end thereof and a compression spring engaging member 56 provided at the upper rear end thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper portion of the trigger means 50 extends upwardly into the plunger means 30 through the slot 46 formed therein with the rearward portion of the compression spring 40 engaging the member 56 of the trigger means and with the forward end of the compression spring 40 engaging a wall 60 formed internally of the plunger means 30 near the forward end thereof.

As may be further noted from FIG. 1, the piston means 32 of the plunger means 30 is for being admitted into the rearward open end 18 of the bore 14 and for being closely and slidably received within the rearward portion 22 of the bore 14.

Mounted in the bore 14 intermediate the forward and rearward open ends 16 and 18 thereof are baffle means indicated by general numerical designation 70. The baffle means may be suitably secured to the cylinder 12 by a suitable adhesive or may be formed integrally therewith. As may be best understood from FIG. 2, the baffle means 70 is provided with a plurality of openings 72 formed therein which openings are formed in complementary configuration to a plurality of rearwardly extending members provided at the rear end of a projectile to be propelled by the toy gun apparatus in a manner to be taught below.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, and in particular to 'FIG. 3, there is shown a projectile according to the present invention which projectile is identified by general numerical designation 80. The projectile 80 is of generally cylindrical configuration and may be provided with a suction cup 82 at the front end thereof and with a plurality of spaced apart rearwardly extending members 84 at the rear thereof. The projectile, as may be understood best from FIG. 3, is provided with an open end at the rear thereof and with a closed end at the front thereof whereby air is received within the projectile 80.

Upon the projectile 80 being received within the forward portion of the bore 14 and with the rearwardly extending members 84 being inserted firstly in the forward open end of the bore, the rearwardly extending members of the projectile extend through the openings 72 formed in the baffle means 70 and extend therethrough into the rearward portion 22 of the bore 14. Hence, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that in accordance with the present invention, the openings 72 formed in the baffle means 70 are of general complementary configuration to the rearwardly extending members 84 formed on the projectile 80.

With the projectile 80 so inserted into the bore 14, an operator of the toy gun apparatus may grip the slide or knob portion 48 and pull the plunger means 30 rearwardly with the piston means 34 moving rearwardly in the rearward portion 22 of the bore 14 whereupon the compression spring 40 is compressed and the trigger means 50 are first pivoted downwardly or counterclockwise by the engagement of the underside of the plunger means 30 with the detent portion 54 of the trigger means until the plunger means is moved rearwardly sufficiently that the trigger means 50 is pivoted upwardly or counterclockwise by the compressed spring 40 to cause the detent portion 54 of the trigger means to be received within the indented portion 42 of the plunger means whereby the toy gun apparatus 10 is cocked. Upon the operation of the trigger means 50 by the operator to pivot the trigger means downwardly or counterclockwise, the detent portion 54 of the trigtending members 84 of the projectile extending through the baffle openings 72 into the rearward portion 22 of the bore 14 whereby the piston means 34 directly mechanically engages the rearwardly extending projectile members 84 imparting mechanical force thereto whereby the projectile 80 is propelled out of the bore 14 by a combination of the compressed air and mechanical force imparted directly to the projectile rearwardly extending members 84. I

The safety feature of the toy gun apparatus of the present invention will now be further explained whereby it will be understood that foreign objects, such as noted above, i.e., pencil, stone, marble, etc., cannot be propelled out of the toy gun apparatus of the present invention unless such foreign objects may be provided with a configuration like the projectile 80. More particularly, it will be notedfrom FIG. 1, that the forward movement of the piston means 34 within the rearward portion 22 of the bore 14 is arrested or halted upon the engagement of the baffle means by the piston means 34. Hence, it will be further understood by viewing FIG. 1, that any foreign object placed within the forward portion 20 of the bore 14, not having the equivalent structural configuration of the rearwardly extending projectile members 84, will not extend through the baffle means opening 72 and hence the piston means 34 upon being moved rapidly into the rearward portion 22 of thebore 14 by the spring 40 will be prevented from engaging such foreign objects and such foreign objects will have only a given amount of compressed air operating thereon, whereby the foreign objects may not even be propelled out of the forward portion 14 of the bore 20 when piston means 34 is moved rapidly forwardly.

It will be understoodby those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

- 1. In combination a toy gun apparatus and a projectile to be propelled by said toy gun apparatus and wherein said toy gun apparatus will not propel foreign objects not having the configuration of said projectile, comprising:

a projectile of generally cylindrical configuration provided with a suction cup at the front end thereof and provided with a plurality of spaced apart rearwardly extending members at the rear end thereof, and said projectile provided with an open end at the rear thereof and a closed end at the front thereof whereby air is received within said projectile;

means providing a bore having a forward open end,

a forward portion, a rearward open end and-a rearward portion;

generally cylindrical, longitudinally extending, spring operated plunger means provided with piston means at the forward end thereof for being admitted into the rearward open end of said bore and for being closely and slidably received within the rearward portion of said bore;

baffle means mounted in said bore intermediate said forward and rearward open ends thereof and said baffle means having a plurality of openings formed therein complementary in configuration to said plurality of spaced apart rearwardly extending members provided at the rear end of said projectile and said openings for loosely receiving said rearwardly extending members of said projectile;

upon said projectile being received within the forward portion of said bore with said rearwardly extending members being inserted firstly in said forward open end of said bore, said rearwardly extending members of said projectile extending through said openings formed in said baffle means and extending into said rearward portion of said bore;

upon said plunger means being moved into said rear ward portion of said bore by said spring, said piston means compressing air received within said rearward portion of said bore and within said projectile and said piston means directly mechanically engaging said rearwardly extending members of said projectile to propel said projectile out of said forward portion of said bore with a combination of compressed air and mechanical forcc imparted to said rearwardly extending members of said projectile upon being engaged by said piston means of said 

1. In combination a toy gun apparatus and a projectile to be propelled by said toy gun apparatus and wherein said toy gun apparatus will not propel foreign objects not having the configuration of said projectile, comprising: a projectile of generally cylindrical configuration provided with a suction cup at the front end thereof and provided with a plurality of spaced apart rearwardly extending members at the rear end thereof, and said projectile provided with an open end at the rear thereof and a closed end at the front thereof whereby air is received within said projectile; means providing a bore having a forward open end, a forward portion, a rearward open end and a rearward portion; generally cylindrical, longitudinally extending, spring operated plunger means provided with piston means at the forward end thereof for being admitted into the rearward open end of said bore and for being closely and slidably received within the rearward portion of said bore; baffle means mounted in said bore intermediate said forward and rearward open ends thereof and said baffle means having a plurality of openings formed therein complementary in configuration to said plurality of spaced apart rearwardly extending members provided at the rear end of said projectile and said openings for loosely receiving said rearwardly extending members of said projectile; upon said projectile being received within the forward portion of said bore with said rearwardly extending members being inserted firstly in said forward open end of said bore, said rearwardly extending members of said projectile extending through said openings formed in said baffle means and extending into said rearward portion of said bore; upon said plunger means being moved into said rearward portion of said bore by said spring, said piston means compressing air received within said rearward portion of said bore and within said projectile and said piston means directly mechanically engaging said rearwardly extending members of said projectile to propel said projectile out of said forward portion of said bore with a combination of compressed air and mechanical force imparted to said rearwardly extending members of said projectile upon being engaged by said piston means of said plunger; and upon foreign objects not having said configuration of said projectile being received in said forward portion of said bore, said foreign objects not extending through said openings formed in said baffle, said piston means Being moved rapidly into said rearward portion of said bore said piston end of said plunger engaging said baffle means and having its movement stopped by said baffle means and being prevented from directly mechanically engaging said projectile whereby most of said foreign objects are not propelled out of said forward portion of said bore. 